The Art Of The Intro

The introduction can make or break an essay. Nothing puts a reader (or an examiner!) off more than a waffly, rambling introduction, which gives no sense of what the essay is aiming to do. Nothing makes a better first impression than a clear, concise opening, which lays the foundations for the essay`s main argument.

Essay writing is a very personal thing, and ultimately you will want to develop your own individual style. What follows is just a suggestion. It works for me, and perhaps it can help you too...

Generally speaking, by the end of your introduction, the reader should know:

1. How you understand the question, i.e. what is the question asking for? what is the debate about?

2. What your answer to the question is.

3. In broad outline, how will go about persuading them that this is a good answer.

Perhaps even more importantly, by the time you`ve written your introduction, you should know these things. If you`re clear in your own mind about what you want to say, the structure of the whole essay can unfold from there.

In order to ensure that you have addressed 1-3, it can be helpful to devote a sentence or two to each in turn. Suppose you were given the question:

`Is the wage-labourer free under capitalism?`

The first thing to do is briefly explain what is at issue. What are the main positions in the debate? What do you think the question turns on? Is there anything ambiguous or unclear about the question, and if so, can you clarify it? Here would be a possible opening:

`Libertarians such as Robert Nozick hold that the wage-labourer acts freely in selling her labour-power to the capitalist, even if her only other option is to starve. Marxists such as G.A.Cohen, however, argue that the libertarian position rests upon a flawed conception of freedom as `self-ownership`, and contest the claim that the wage-labourer is free.`

This addresses point 1.

Next, you need to decide what your answer to the question is going to be. This could be a straight-forward `yes` or `no`, or it could be something more nuanced like `to some extent yes, and to some extent no`, or `it depends what you mean by "freedom" or who you are taking as a typical "wage-labourer"`. State your main thesis as clearly as possible. For example:

`I will argue that Cohen`s critique of the libertarian conception of freedom is convincing, and that the notion of a `free labour contract` under capitalism is therefore problematic.`

This addresses point 2.

Finally, it helps to give a sense of how you intend to back up your thesis. Is there a key reason you will offer in its favour, or a key counter-argument you will rebut? For example:

`In particular, I will argue that libertarian arguments fail because they assume an unrealistic view of social power relations.`

This addresses point 3. And that`s all there is to it, really. Just a few final comments...

Often people are told to `define their terms` in the introduction. Be careful with this one! If the key terms of the question can be succinctly explained in a sentence, this can be a good opening, helping to set up the debate (see point 1). However, if such a short summary is not possible, then embarking on a definition in the introduction can make for a rambling start. A solution is to leave discussion of the terms to the second paragraph. Begin the paragraph with a sentence like,`First, though, it is necessary to explain what is meant by... (e.g.) "the libertarian conception of freedom".`

These suggestions can sound rather formulaeic. In a sense, they are. It`s having a formula up your sleeve which allows you to write exam essays without wasting precious minutes thinking of how to start. Still, the formula is just a vehicle for your insights and ideas, which has the advantage of allowing them to come across more persuasively. A foggy, meandering argument is easily - even if perhaps unfairly - dismissed. The more clearly structured your essay is, and in particular the more clear and focused your introduction is - the more controversial you can be!